Alberta Ferretti’s “Purified Glamour” A/W´23 Show

Alberta Ferretti’s autumn/winter 2023 collection introduced a cleaner, more modern and less romantic version of the Ferretti woman, says Anders Christian Madsen at Milan Fashion Week. Below, five things to know about the collection.

The collection was a new look for Alberta Ferretti

Mona Tougaard opened the Alberta Ferretti show in a floor-length tailored grey bustier dress styled with sheer black opera gloves. She was dressed to the nines yet entirely stripped down: no fuss, no embellishment, just glamour – in its purest form. The look heralded a collection that introduced a cleaner, more modern and less romantic version of the Ferretti woman, which didn’t just suit her but snapped her into a mentality that felt ever so 2023.

It came with a change of show venue

“The silhouette is more modern: clean, long and closer to the body. It’s simple but the detail is very special. There’s more tailoring. It’s very sartorial,” Ferretti said backstage before the show. It unfolded in considered surroundings: a nondescript conference centre some 20 minutes by car from Milan’s city centre, which felt very un-Ferretti but also like a blank canvas; a fresh page for a new start, complete with a seductive electro soundtrack with a sultry voice.

It was just as intricate as before

Maintained in an elongated silhouette, Ferretti’s updated take on her own creative genetics manifested in sumptuous but consistently restrained textures – shearling, velvet, various forms of appliqué – that looked simpler than they have in the past, but demanded the same levels of savoir-faire synonymous with her brand. “This is not print,” she said, pointing at a cloudy red dress. “This is all applicated velvet embroidery on chiffon.”

It was all about texture

The purified colour palette that defined the show – dark greys, scarlet, black and silver – allowed Ferretti to really amplify her textures. She did so in metallics clashed with velvet, in felt confronted with pattern, and rich textures like soft and sculptural shearling, intricate lace, and tonal black embroideries that embellished jackets in opulent beads and paillettes without ever entering over-the-top territory.

Ferretti said it was about focus

“It’s super important at this particular moment to have a very precise image and message,” Ferretti said, asked what had brought on her change in direction. “You can’t be vague. With images appearing everywhere around us, I have to be very concentrated on communicating who I am – my DNA – through a very sharp silhouette.” It made for a wardrobe that transcended age groups, and a collection that imprinted itself on your retina.